How’s life in recovery? Well, if you’re past the early days
and life is anything but perfect (so this is for basically everyone…) take stock of what areas of life need a tune-up and get some ideas
for self-improvement, because the more wellness you enjoy, the stronger your
recovery becomes.

Read on for an 8 item wellness checklist. Evaluate
your current situation across these 8 domains and if you see an area that needs work, get started on self-improvement by following one of the suggestions
listed below.

Research shows that improving wellness increases life
satisfaction and physical health, decreases your risks of early death and helps
you avoid relapse – so though improving wellness takes a bit of effort, it
earns you enormous rewards.

What Is Wellness?

Wellness = Feeling happiness, life-satisfaction and
well-being, enjoying good physical health, addressing past trauma, enjoying
social relationships, having purpose and engaging in work and play, avoiding
excessive stress and living in a positive environment.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, wellness has 8 primary dimensions:

Social

Environmental

Physical

Emotional

Occupational

Intellectual

Financial

Spiritual

These 8 dimensions give you a framework to evaluate your
current situation and to make small
changes over time to improve your wellness across all areas of life.

Why bother working for wellness?

Because life should be joyous and satisfying - after all,
you don’t go through all the hard work of quitting and early recovery to have a
less satisfying life – life after addiction should improve enormously.

Because research shows that people with serious mental
illness and substance use disorders suffer greater health complaints and have a
higher risk of early death (working for wellness helps you offset this risk.)

Because beyond general happiness, wellness and life
satisfaction protects your emotional and mental health – and your recovery.

Your Wellness Recipe…Only 8 Ingredients!

Want to improve your life but not sure how to get started?
Well:

Take a look at the 8 dimensions listed below.

Choose one you’re weak in.

Choose one of the easy improvement suggestions.

Take a small step to
greater wellness right now.

Remember, baby steps of progress still take you forward. You
don’t have to change everything right away. Simply make one or two manageable
changes at a time, and if you keep at it you’ll achieve something
great.

1. Physical Wellness

You can achieve good physical wellness by getting enough
exercise, sleeping well, eating healthy nutritious food, maintaining a diet that
keeps you at a healthy weight, avoiding injury and seeing your doctor regularly
to prevent disease.

Ideas for improvement:

If you haven’t been to the doctor in a while, make an
appointment for a complete physical – likewise, stay on top of oral health with
regular dental visits. If you haven’t been in a while, schedule a cleaning and
check-up today.

If overweight, take steps to lose weight – reduce your
consumption of processed foods and sugary drinks and replace these with home-cooked foods, vegetables, fruits,
beans and legumes. To help with this, buy the bulk of your groceries from the
outsides of the grocery store – where the fresh produce, meats and dairy are
typically sold. Limit purchases in the interior sections, which hold processed
and frozen/prepared foods.

Get at least 2.5 hours of moderate physical exercise per
week (more is even better) – all it takes is a 20 to 30 minute brisk walk each
morning or evening. Or – try for 10 000 steps a day (use a fitness tracker for
this) or join a recreational sports team.2

Take the stairs rather than the elevator – or park at the
far end of the lot, rather than searching for the closest spot.

2. Social Wellness

You can’t be totally well all on your own - for social
wellness and belonging make sure to build a social support
network, engage regularly with others and work to make sure you feel
comfortable with others in everyday social interactions.

Ideas to try:

Make a list of people that you care about and if there’s
anyone on that list you haven’t talked to in a while, give them a call today.

Pledge to make at least one connection with another person
each day – through phone calls, emails or direct contact.

Get involved with peer recovery support. Helping others in recovery
helps you just as much as it does them.

Join a club or social group.

Volunteer.

And the good news is that you don’t have to become a social
butterfly to see some beneficial results - researchers in Australia found that
just belonging to a book club or other community social group led to improved physical
and mental health.3

3. Financial Wellness

It’s hard to stay positive when money’s a constant worry –
you achieve financial wellness when you avoid excessive financial stress and
become satisfied with your present and future financial situation.

Ideas to try:

Become a conscious spender – if you overspend, set a budget
and stick with it.

If you have debt or credit problems, work with an expert to
develop a plan that satisfies your creditors and takes the pressure off your day
to day life.

If you worry about your future finances, make a plan and
start putting money aside now. Even small amounts saved today can grow into
something substantial - and by taking action, you may relieve some anxiety.

If you find that you’re not making emotional wellness
progress on your own, consider working with a counselor or therapist to achieve
your goals.

5. Occupational Wellness

You likely spend a great deal of your life ‘at work’ so your
job has an influence on your overall wellness. If you can, try to build a work
or school situation that brings you a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

Ideas to try:

If you don’t get any satisfaction, enrichment or purpose out
of you current job, is there any way you could change your current job to improve
it? If not, are you in a position to get a new job elsewhere that would be a
better fit to you?

If you feel under-challenged, volunteer for extra duties or
responsibilities that allow for growth and development.

Improve your skills with professional development or
specific training courses.

Make sure to communicate openly with your supervisor and ask
for support if you need it.

6. Intellectual Wellness

Use it or lose it! It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, but you
don’t have to be an academic type to benefit from life-long learning – staying
intellectually active can improve your cognitive abilities, protect you from
age related declines, increase your self confidence and provide you with new
knowledge and skills.

Ideas to try:

Take a class.

Pay attention to local politics and attend political events.
Express your opinions.

Try a new hobby.

Go to the museum or art gallery.

Read.

Join a book club or other discussion group.

7. Spiritual Wellness

We are all spiritual beings seeking meaning from our existence,
and there is something very satisfying in connecting with something larger than
yourself. Spirituality doesn’t have to mean religion – though it can, but it
should be personally significant.

Ideas to try:

If already have working beliefs, strive to bring your
spiritual practice into your everyday life.

If you don’t yet have a well defined sense of spirituality,
try exploring different religious traditions – you may find an existing
practice that fits perfectly.

8. Environmental Wellness

Your environment has a significant effect on your mental and
physical health, so you can improve wellness simply by spending more time each
day in pleasant, stimulating or nurturing surroundings.

Ideas to try:

De-clutter - if you live with clutter, tidy and clean your
surroundings. Research demonstrates that neat and orderly surroundings help
your mood.

Spend more time each day outside – in the natural world if
possible.

If you spend a lot of time each day stuck in your car – in
traffic, consider alternate means of commuting, such as bike commuting.

Avoid spending time in toxic environments, such as rooms
filled with second hand smoke.

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This article describes what a relapse prevention plan is and how to write an effective plan. It includes ideas for what you can include in a simple relapse prevention plan or a detailed recovery plan.Read Article